Plural stack, sequential dispensing, article dispensing apparatus



Dec. 5, 1967 w. o. O'NEAL 3,356,259

PLURAL STACK, SEQUENTIAL DISPENSING, ARTICLE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 21, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3,356,259 ARTICLE Dec. 5, 1967 w. o. O'NEAL PLURAL STACK SEQUENTIAL DISPENSING,

DISPENSING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed 001.. 23., 1966 United States Patent 3,356,259 PLURAL STACK, SEQUENTIAL DISPENSING, ARTTCLE DISPENSING APPARATUS Wilbert 0. ONeal, Crystal City, Mo., assignor, by mesne assignments, to L. W. Menzimer, Rockford, Ill., as trustee Filed (Pct. 21. 1966, Ser. No. 583,577 7 Claims. (Cl. 221-118) Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of dispensing apparatus of the class described adapted for alternate dispensing of articles from two stacks of articles arranged one behind the other in a single dispensing column; the provision of such apparatus involving an arrangement for escrow of the lowermost articles to be dispensed from each of the stacks so as to prevent pilfering; and the provision of such apparatus which is of simple and economical construction, utilizing a single escrow gate common to the two stacks for escrow of the lowermost articles in the column, which gate is adapted on partial opening to dispense the lowermost article of one stack and on full opening to dispense the lowermost article of the other stack. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a dispensing column of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the column;

FIGS. 3-5 are front elevations of the lower part of the column illustrating different positions of certain parts;

FIG. 6 is a perspective showing a rod, a gate and certain cam mechanism; and

FIG. 7 is a view showing the cam mechanism.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout several views of the drawings.

' Referring to the drawings, a dispensing apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention for use in a vendor for dispensing cans (such as cans of beverage) is shown to comprise a magazine or dispensing column generally designated 1 which is adapted to hold two stacks S1 and S2 of cans C one behind the other. The magazine 1, as shown, comprises side walls 3 and 5, the width of which is somewhat greater than twice the length of the cans C to be handled, and which may be of any suitable height. 'Iheseside'walls have inturned flanges 7 and 9 at the front, and inturned flanges 11 and 13 at the rear to confine the cans therein. They are spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the diameter of the cans to be handled.

An arm 15' is pivoted at 17 on the outside of the front flange 9 and an arm 19 is pivoted at 21 on the outside of the rear flange 13. The pivots 17 and 21 are horizontally coaxial, and located adjacent the lower end of the column 1. The arms 15 and 19 are angled downward and inward from the pivots 17 and 19 and a rod 23 spans the free ends of the arms, extending through the column 1 from front to rear adjacent the lower end of the column. The rod 23 is stepped at 25 so as to have a forward horizontal reach 27 ,and a rearward horizontal reach 29 with the forward reach offset downward from the rearward reach. Each of these reaches if the rod is somewhat longer than a can. The rod 23 is movable with the arms 15 and 19 in an are about the axis of the pivots 17 and 21 between the stack-supporting position in which it is shown in FIGS. 3-5 and a retracted stack-releasing position against the right-hand side wall of the column. Notches such as indicated at 31 are cut in the flanges 9 and 13 to allow for the retraction of the rod.

At the lower end of the column is a gate 33, which may be referred to as a double-step escrow gate, for holding the lowermost cans of the front and rear stacks in vertically offset relation. This gate is formed to have a flat front shelf portion 35 and a flat rear shelf portion 37 in line with but inclined at an angle of about 25 which respect to the front shelf portion and located above the latter. The gate may be formed from a bar of sheet metal stock which is in effect twisted at 39 to provide the offsetangled shelf portions. As shown, it is also formed with arms 41 and 43 at its forward and rearward ends, the arm 41 being pivoted at 45 on the outside of flange 9 and the arm 43 being pivoted at 47 on the outside of flange 13. These pivots 45 and 47 are horizontally coaxial, located just above the lower end of the column.

The gate 33 is movable with the arms 41 and 43 in an are about the axis of pivots 45 and 47 from a first position such as shown in FIG. 3 wherein the rear shelf portion 37 is generally horizontal and the front shelf portion 35 is inclined downward and toward the left at an angle to the horizontal of about 25, to a second position such as shown in FIG. 4 wherein the rear shelf portion 37 is inclined downward and toward the left at an angle to the horizontal of about 17 and the front shelf portion 35 is inclined downward and toward the left at an angle to the horizontal of about 42, thence to a third position such as shown in FIG. 5 wherein the rear shelf portion 37 is inclined downward and toward the left at an angle to the horizontal of about 40 and the front shelf portion 35 is inclined downward and toward the left at an angle to the horizontal of about 65, and thence back to its first position.

' In FIG. 3, the lowermost can of the front stack S1 is designated C1 and the lowermost can of the rear stack S2 is designated C2. When the gate is in its stated first position of FIG. 3, which may be referred to as its fully closed position, it holds the lowermost cans C1 and C2 of both the front and rear stacks in the column 1. In this regard, the arrangement is such that the distance D1 from the left-hand edge of rear shelf portion 37 to the bottom of the left side wall 3 of the column when the gate is in the fully closed position is less than the diameter of a can, and the distance D2 from the left-hand edge of the front shelf portion 35 to the bottom of the left side wall 3, while greater than distance D1, is also less than the diameter of a can. Accordingly, neither of cans C1 nor C2 can drop out. When the gate moves to its second position of FIG. 4, which may be referred to as its partly open position, the distance D3 from the left-hand edge of the front shelf portion 35 to the bottom of the left side wall is greater than the diameter of a can, but the distance D4 from the left-hand edge of the rear shelf portion 37 to the bottom of the left side wall is less than the diameter of a can. Accordingly, the can C1 may roll off the front shelf portion to the left and drop out, but can C2 is retained in the column. When the gate moves to its third position of FIG. 5, which may be referred to as its fully open position, the distance D5 from the left-hand edge of the rear shelf portion 37 of the bottom of the left side Wall is greater than the diameter of a can and, accordingly, the can C2. may roll off the rear shelf portion to the left and drop out.

When the gate is moved from position to its FIG. 4 partly open position for dispensing of can C1, and when it is moved from its FIG. 4 partly open position to its FIG. 5 fully open position for dispensing of can C2, the rod 23 is maintained in the stack-supporting position in which it is shown in FIGS. 3-5 to hold up all the cans in stacks S1 and S2 above the lowermost its FIG. 3 fully closed cans C1 and C2, so that only can C1 is permitted to drop out on movement of the gate to its FIG. 4 position, and only can C2 is permitted to drop out on movement of the gate to its FIG. 5 position. In this regard, rod 23 is located at such an elevation in the column that, when it is held in its stack-supporting position, its forward or front reach 27 is interposed between the lowermost can C1 of the front stack and the second can C3 up from the bottom of the front stack to hold up can C3 and all the cans above can C3, and its rearward reach 29 is interposed between the lowermost can C2 of the rear stack and the second can C4 up from the bottom of the rear stack to hold up can C4 and all the cans above can C4. On return of gate 33 to its fully closed FIG. 3 position following the dispensing of cans C1 and C2 in sequence, rod 23 is retracted, i.e., swung to the right so that its forward reach is cleared from underneath can C3 and its rearward reach is cleared from underneath can C4, whereupon both the front and rear stacks S1 and S2 drop down in the column, can C3 being stopped by the front shelf portion 35 of the gate and becoming can C1, and can C4 being stopped by the rear shelf portion 37 of the gate and becoming can C2 for the next cycle of operation.

As shown particularly in FIG. 6, the operation of the gate 33 and the rod 23 may be controlled by cams 49 and 51 on a camshaft 53. Arm 41 of the gate has an extension 55 carrying a cam follower roller 57 engaging the cam 49; arm of rod 23 has an extension 59 carrying a cam follower roller 61 engaging cam 51. The camshaft 53 is adapted to be driven by any suitable indexing drive means first through part of a revolution and then through the remainder of a revolution starting from the home position shown in FIG. 6. The cam 49 is so developed and phased that, as it rotates with shaft 53 through the first part of a revolution, it allows the gate 33 to swing from its fully closed FIG. 3 position to its partly open FIG. 4 position. As it rotates with shaft 53 through the remainder of the revolution it allows the gate to swing from its FIG. 4 partly open position to its FIG. 5 fully open position, and then swings the gate back to its fully closed FIG. 3 position. The cam 51 is so developed and phase as to hold the rod 23 in its stack-supporting position when the cam 51 is in its home position, throughout the first part of the revolution and the initial phase of the final part of the revolution, and to allow the rod to retract and then to return it to stack-supporting position during the final phase of the final part of the revolution after the gate has returned to its fully closed position.

Operation is as follows:

Assuming that the gate 33 is in its fully closed position of FIG. 3, and that there is a can C1 on the front shelf portion 35 of the gate, a can C2 0n the rear shelf portion 37 of the gate behind can C1, a first stack of cans on the forward reach of rod 23 and a second stack of cans on the rearward reach of rod 23 behind the first stack, on the first dispensing operation camshaft 53 and cams 49 and 51 will be rotated through part of a revolution (clockwise as viewed in FIG. 6) with resultant counterclockwise swing of the gate from its FIG. 3 position to its partly open position of FIG. 4. Can C1 (the bottom can at the front) rolls off the front shelf portion 35 of the gate for delivery. Can C2 (the bottom can at the rear) moves down to some extent but is held in the column 1. Rod 23 remains in its stack-supporting position and keeps the stacks from dropping down in the column.

On the second dispensing operation, camshaft 53 and cams 49 and 51 thereon are rotated through the remainder of the revolution. During the initial phase of this, the gate 33, under control of cam 49, swings from its FIG. 4 position to its fully open position of FIG. 5, and can C2 (the bottom can at the rear) rolls off the rear shelf portion 37 of the gate for delivery. During the final phase of the rotation of the camshaft through the stated remainder of the revolution, cam 49 returns the gate 33 to its fully closed FIG. 3 position and, after this has occurred, the rod 23, under control of cam 51, is retracted to permit both the front and rear stacks to drop, and is then finally moved back by cam 51 to its stack-supporting position. The front stack drops down into the front shelf portion of the gate and the lowermost can of the front stack becomes a new can C1 ready for dispensing, and the rear stack drops down into the rear shelf portion 37 of the gate and the lowermost can of the rear stack becomes a new can C2 ready for dispensing.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. Article dispensing apparatus comprising a column for holding first and second stacks of articles one behind the other, a gate at the bottom of the column having first and second offset shelf portions for holding the lowermost articles of the first and second stacks in vertically offset relation in the column, means for releasably supporting the second article up from the bottom of each stack to prevent articles above said means from dropping, said gate being movable from a first position wherein it holds the lowermost articles of both stacks in the column to a second position wherein it releases the lowermost article of one stack to drop out of the column and thence to a third position wherein it releases the lowermost article of the other stack, said gate then being movable back to its first portion and said supporting means then being releasable to allow both stacks to drop down onto the gate.

2. Article dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 having cam means for controlling the operation of said gate and said supporting means operable through a first cycle for effecting movement of the gate from its first to its Second position while retaining said supporting means in stack-supporting position and then through a second phase for effecting movement of the gate from its second to its third position while retaining said supporting means in stack-supporting position, followed by return of the gate to its first position, release of said supporting means, and return of said supporting means to stacksupporting position.

3. Article dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said gate is mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis extending in front to rear direction with respect to the column and said second shelf portion of the gate is inclined relative to said first shelf portion of the gate.

4. Article dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said supporting means comprises a member extending through the column in front to rear direction, and means mounting said member for movement between a stack-supporting position interposed between the articles on the gates and the next articles up and a retracted position at one side of the column.

5. Article dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said member has vertically offset reaches for supporting said stacks in vertically offset relation.

6. Article dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said mounting means for said member supports said member for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis extending in front to rear direction with respect to the column.

7. Article dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 6 having rotary cam means controlling the operation of said gate and said member operable through part of a revolution for effecting movement of the gate from its first to its second position while retaining said member in stack-supporting position and then through the remainder of a revolution for effecting movement of the gate from its second to its third position while retaining said member in stacksupporting position, followed by return of the gate to its first position, movement of said member to retracted position, and return of said member to stack-supporting position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Stewart 221-118 X Vitschman 221-1I5 X Heiser 221-115 ONeal 221--114 X FOREIGN PATENTS 9/ 19-29 Great Britain.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Eaminer. 

1. ARTICLE DISPENSING APPARATUS COMPRISING A COLUMN FOR HOLDING FIRST AND SECOND STACKS OF ARTICLES ONE BEHIND THE OTHER, A GATE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN HAVING FIRST AND SECOND OFFSET SHELF PORTIONS FOR HOLDING THE LOWERMOST ARTICLES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND STACKS IN VERTICALLY OFFSET RELATION IN THE COLUMN, MEANS FOR RELEASABLY SUPPORTING THE SECOND ARTICLE UP FROM THE BOTTOM OF EACH STACK TO PREVENT ARTICLES ABOVE SAID MEANS FROM DROPPING, SAID GATE BEING MOVABLE FROM A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN IT HOLDS THE LOWERMOST ARTICLES OF BOTH STACKS IN THE COLUMN TO A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN IT RELEASES THE LOWERMOST ARTICLE OF ONE STACK TO DROP OUT OF THE COLUMN AND THENCE TO A THIRD POSITION WHEREIN IT RELEASES THE LOWERMOST ARTICLE OF THE OTHER STACK, SAID GATE THEN BEING MOVABLE BACK TO ITS FIRST PORTION AND SAID SUPPORTING MEANS THEN BEING RELEASABLE TO ALLOW BOTH STACKS TO DROP DOWN ONTO THE GATE. 